Radio
by Eloquent Catastrophe
Summary: High school AU: Mello is the outgoing new kid...who wears leather. And still has a mystery gender to half the school. And Matt...Matt is most certainly not gay. Or bisexual, or anything! Right? Progressive MxM.
1. Dashboard

**I used to hate AU's, but now I think they're quite fun, so I've started a high school one. Matt and Mello are 16, starting junior year. Yes, there is an OC, but she is not involved in a romantical-type way with any Death Note characters. Because boy love is the way to go.**

**So because I'm very into music, I decided to write a fic involving it, but not with any songfics. There will just be mention or involvement of a song or two in every chapter, and I think it would be best if you wonderful readers listened to the songs while or before reading unless you already know them. But that's your choice.**

**This chapter's song is:**

**Dashboard by Modest Mouse**

* * *

"I heard there's a new student coming today," Kana said, sparking up some sort of conversation to clear away the thought that she had nothing better to do so she was actually early to first hour.

"Really? It's already the third day, though." Matt wanted to assist in this distraction. When Kana came in he'd already been there for ten minutes plugged into both his iPod and his DS. It really didn't take him long to get ready for school in the morning, so his choice was either to get sucked into a game at home and be late, or get sucked into a game at school and be ridiculously early. The latter appealed more; it didn't get him into any unnecessary trouble.

"Yep. Must've been out of town or something and couldn't make it the first few days."

"Boy or girl?" Matt inquired, honestly not all that interested.

"Well…it's…I'm not really sure."

"Ah, the mystery kid. Won't that be fun," Matt mumbled along.

"No, it's not that nobody told me. I've definitely heard some things." Other students began filing into the classroom, a few morning-persons chattering excitedly, causing an overtired, jittery Mr. Matsuda to glance up now and then.

"What do you mean, you've heard…" Matt's voice trailed off, seeing as he didn't need to ask anymore. Well, he still felt the need to ask; he just knew Kana couldn't provide him with an answer.

A slim figure glided in. Blond hair cut in a shaggy bob, eyes with icy azure irises and dangerously dark pupils. And clad entirely in leather. _Leather._

"Kana, he's a boy," Matt declared in a hushed tone after a moment of speculation.

"How do you know?"

"He's just…I can just tell." The redheaded geek was quite sure of himself. However, this didn't count for much because according to the fragmented whispers, the rest of the class didn't agree with him.

The blond looked up, serious as anything, and said, "Male."

The students silenced themselves.

Mr. Matsuda stepped to the front of the room in an attempt to rid the room of the suddenly tense atmosphere. "Well…um…yes, then. Right. We have a new student joining us. This is Mello." The nervous teacher, afraid that his third day on the job had already gone horribly awry, gestured weakly towards the blond boy making his way to an empty seat. "Mello, why don't you take that seat between Alexander and…" A look of distaste flickered across the teacher's face briefly as he tried to continue. "And Matt." Matsuda's usual light disposition returned. "Alexander can help you get adjusted to the school and the curriculum."

Mello followed his new teacher's gaze to a bespectacled boy sitting unnaturally straight in his chair, staring intently at him through foot-thick lenses. Unfortunately, the new student was forced to comply with Matsuda's request. Somehow, in those eight seconds when he wasn't looking, all the other seats had ever-so-conveniently filled themselves up. The blonde reluctantly thumped down in the plastic chair and took the opportunity to socialize while the teacher nervoused the hell out of himself.

"Who is this square?" Mello, who had turned sideways in his chair to lazily face the boy on his other side, jerked his head slightly towards Alexander.

"Hm? Oh, him. Yeah, little tip for you. If he tries to show you his favorite 'collection,' or really, any 'collection,' say no. By any means. At any cost." Matt threw in a joking smile. The new kid was kind of cute. Wait, no. He was not cute. NO. _He_ was not cute; _he_ was not attractive. _He_ was a _him._

See, Matt's main, or only, insecurity was that he was bisexual, if not entirely homosexual, and he was the only one who didn't know it.

"Heh, thanks." He winked. Quite confident for someone who was the only topic of whisper in the room. "Really, how does this nervous wreck, ridiculous excuse for an educator expect this ridiculous excuse for a teenager to help me 'adjust'? Hilarious."

Matt was already absorbed back into his game to get the blond on his right off his mind. Once he glanced at Kana to see her smiling and mumbling (probably plotting) to herself in that very Kana way that made most people think she had a real problem. That's why she and Matt were friends. He was so socially awkward that he didn't really notice when Kana didn't make sense half the time she said something. For all he cared, she was just as normal as everyone else, just generally friendlier (and maybe a teeny, tiny bit, miniscule quantity really, quirkier).

"_Well it would've been, could've been, worse than you would ever know…_"

Mello turned his attention to the redhead beside him, half-connected to his music (and therefore only half aware), drumming his fingers lightly and obliviously rocking out.

"…_Well the windshield was broken but I love the fresh air you know. Oh it should've been, could've been worse than you would ever know-oh-oh-oh-oh…Oh we talked about nothing which was more than I wanted you to know-oh-oh_-OH." Matt stopped abruptly and blushed furiously as he realized he had been singing aloud (quietly, really, but there was sound) and Mello had seen. And now that leather clad blonde was smirking a smirk to beat all other smirks over the head with a club. It melted into something friendly as the blonde turned back to the blackboard, which was littered with chicken-scratch and useless information. To Mello it seemed a projection of the inside of Matsuda's head.

The bell rang shrilly and the students poured out into the hall.

"He's cute. You should go out with him."

"What? Why? Why are you always saying things like this? 'Go out with _him._' 'Ooh, isn't _he_ a nice looking one; TAP THAT.' Come on, Kana stop being so…so you, dammit."

"Oh Matty, relax." The lightly freckled brunette ruffled her friend's burgundy (somewhere between red and dark pink) hair. "Maybe if you'd just listen to me instead of freak out all the time, you'd be getting somewhere with your love life."

Matt couldn't contain his awkwardness and edged away with a last (failed) attempted look of nonchalance to his next class…where Mello was slouched in a chair, legs crossed up on the desk. The blond flicked his hand to beckon the redhead to the seat beside him.

"I want another concert. You could be on a top idol show or something." There was that smirk. Matt had a feeling that was something he'd be seeing a lot. "It's good to see Alexander isn't here…maybe I can avoid that collection you talked about after all."

"Yeah, sure…" Matt preferred mashing buttons with his good friend Mario over talking to Mello and trying to force Kana's comments out of his head.

_Riiiiing._

"Well then, students…" And the despicably nasal droning began.

A tiny, folded piece of paper landed on Matt's desk. He unfolded it and read, What do you have third hour?

He wrote back.

Passing notes? Wow…well it's AP Physics.

Ok, mine's different. So find me at lunch. I'll be outside in the back.

"Class dismissed."

Matt was thoroughly distracted throughout third hour worrying about not being an awkward turtle whilst talking with Mello.

"Maatt! Hey, wanna eat outside today? I know you're not the biggest fan of being outside, but it's suuuper pretty out."

"Sorry Kana, I'm…busy, just today."

"Busy at lunch?"

"I'm…meeting Mello."

Kana squealed. Despite her trying to stifle it, it was quite loud and piercing. "So you listened to me this time? Do you get it now?"

"No, Kana, I don't! Anyway he asked me to find him. We're not even really friends. It's nothing. I'm not going out with him. He just seems sort of friendly."

Kana laughed. "Friendly? Matt, I've seen him in the halls, that kid is…Well, friendly isn't exactly how I would describe him. Maybe socially apt; you're just not used to it. Ooh, speaking of. There he is. Go get 'em, tiger." Matt hated how that phrase always applied to him, what with his striped shirts and all.

"I'll just go get lunch and meet him in a few minutes." Matt excused himself, dodging Kana's constant prodding. Lunch wound up being an apple with a large side of Zelda.

"Hey Mello," Matt said, crunching away on—sorry, playing, his DS.

"Hey. Have a seat." Mello casually nudged the grass with his boot to point his new acquaintance to his preferred place. "So tell me about this place."

"It sucks."

"Yeah, I know that, I'm not an idiot."

It was Matt's turn to smirk, just for fun. "I dunno…it's nothing special. Only a few important things, I guess. First off, stay out of the second floor bathroom. This weird white haired kid sits on the sinks in there for hours and plays with toys…it's creepy. And yet he remains at the top of his class…Anyway you'll also find it of interest to know that if you want to meet anyone worth talking to you'll have to look, or just wait. The people who'll be starting to talk to you right now are, for the most part, nosy airheads. Except Kana. She's just psychotic. I mean strange. I mean a bit out of the ordinary. An exception. Yes, that. And all the teachers hate me. I thought I could just throw that in."

"But you're so…I don't know, passive in class. Some might say unobtrusive…"

"Ah, see, you look over see a kid being quiet and playing an inoffensive videogame. They look over and see a kid being obnoxiously quiet and obnoxiously playing an obnoxiously inoffensive videogame…obnoxiously."

"Got it. Well, I'm off." With that, Mello stood and made his way across the yard and began socializing a group of antisocials, to Matt's great amusement.

Brushing off the fact that he was ditched for a bunch of kids that were entirely indifferent to each other but spent all their time "together," the goggled redhead wandered around in search of Kana to kill the boredom of lunch, having beaten Zelda for the sixth time that month.

"Hey, what happened to meeting with Mello?"

"We unmet. He's over there." Matt waved his hand at the small clump of students, their lives crumbling into personal social catastrophe as a certain blonde chatted away, forcing them into group conversation. Kana made a pitying face, but laughed nonetheless.

- - -

_A slim figure stepped forward, face shadowed, wearing only a pair of leather gloves. Only. And then those gloves came off, carelessly discarded on the floor. The figure had pretty, feminine hands. The hands knotted into Matt's hair for a brief moment, then slipped down his bare chest slowly, gently brushing fingers across the skin. The hands explored down to the waist of Matt's jeans and unbuttoned them. Then the zipper…the figure brought its head down and put its mouth against the redhead's neck before looking up, blond hair bouncing slightly. Mello winked._

"HOLYSHITWHATTHEFUCK!!" Matt bolted up straight in his bed panting, realizing in horror that he wasn't exactly the only thing perpendicular to the mattress.

* * *

**Well that was pretty fun. It was just sort of a test chapter to see the reaction. **

**Should I continue? I'd really like to hear your thoughts, criticism, and/or suggestions/requests for songs to throw in. If I get a lot of song requests I might do a super-mega-lightning chapter with a whole bunch of songs.**

**For the record, I have nothing against antisocial people. Sometimes I am one.**

**And if you were wondering, if this continues, the rating will go up. In a very sexy manner…if you didn't catch on. It'll strip of all its clothes, do a little dance, and magically be an M instead of a T. That's my sick mind for you all.**


	2. She's Only 18

**Okay, here's the dealio, you lovely readers, you. Radio, as it is here, is going to remain rated T. I will, however, be writing a separately published M chapter to be called "Radio Implies." If you aren't into the more hardcore stuff and choose not to read it, it won't affect the story as published here.**

**Anyway I wanted to make this a short note, but I have to say I was ecstatic with the response to chapter one. So thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. Your reviews made me so happy. SOO HAPPY. Words cannot describe, my friends, words cannot describe. Maybe a happy Pocky dance can.**

**Sorry, last thing: I apologize about the formatting for Matt and Mello's note-passing in the first chapter. I used punctuation marks the site doesn't recognize, so it just left them out and I didn't notice during my final editing.**

**This chapter's song:**

**She's Only 18 by the Red Hot Chili Peppers**

* * *

"Mr. Keehl, please take your seat." Matsuda had taken a tip from a more experienced teacher to call students Mr. or Miss, thinking it might make them listen better.

Mello, considering himself no ordinary student, ignored his "educator" and continued to stare lazily out the window.

"Mr. Keehl." Nothing. "Come onnn!" The teacher almost whined, then sloppily regained a little composure. He inhaled deeply. "Would you please be seated?" Touta was lately having a tough time sounding superior and was quickly approaching the end of his abnormally short rope with the unmoving teenager. "MELLO!" The lack of response felt like a slap in the face. "MIHAEL! SIT YOUR A—" Fortunately for Mr. Matsuda, he caught himself. Unfortunately for Sir Impatience Personified, he had just made his biggest mistake yet.

Mello's head whipped around to face the teacher, death stare on full power. Matsuda's face paled. "Mr. Keehl" reached into his jacket in a way that might suggest…

Half the class was frozen, the other half asleep.

When the blonde produced a bar of chocolate, several boys and girls relaxed, stifling giggles. A resounding crack, metaphorically serving the same purpose as a gunshot, was heard as the boy snapped of a chunk of candy and left the room, muttering something about not suggesting he repeat "that goddamn name one more fucking time."

Matt had ashamedly looked up with interest at the first mention of Mello's name, and he was, frankly, slightly terrified. As Kana said, socially apt was more accurate than friendly as far as describing his new acquaintance. All the same, he didn't care. The death stare had been, while utterly violent and horrifying, sort of…sexy.

_Oh fuck. Oh fuck no_.

It was getting considerably harder for Matt to deny his attraction to Mello. But he tried. Oh, how he tried.

_Well, he looks like a girl, doesn't he? Yeah, some people think he is one. That's okay, isn't it? It's not like I like him, I mean the way I think he's attractive is because he's feminine, isn't it? Long hair, slim waist, tight clothes, his hips swing a little…_

"Matt. Matt! Hey Matt, you okay?"

Matt broke from his internal-conflict-induced trance and answered Kana as best he could. "Huh?"

"You sounded like you might be hyperventilating or something. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Matt…you're blushing. Come on." Kana jabbed him playfully in the shoulder. "Were you thinking about someone?"

"Hm? No. No. Absolutely not. Nobody. Nothings up here. Nope, not in my brain. No one at all. Not anyone, that's for sure. Nope…"

"Matt. Shut up."

"Right."

- - -

"Looks like someone's cooled off," Matt joked as Mello seated himself at the nearly empty lunch table beside Matt.

"Hmph."

Matt refocused his attention on the little illuminated race taking place beneath his thumbs. He could worry about Mello in three minutes when _MATTJ-7832pts_ became something more along the lines of _MATTMASTA-8954pts._

"Ow, Mello, that hurt!"

"Ah, that got your attention." Mello laughed. "I've only said your name about fifteen thousand times."

Matt rubbed his shoulder. "What's so important that you felt the need to throw your fist into this?"

"Oh, no, it's not like that. I just think it's funny when you're in pain." Mello received an incredulous look. He smirked before saying, "Actually I just thought we should go to the Amane girl's party tonight. It'll be good for your…awkwardness."

"You can't be serious."

"Serious as the trouble I'm gonna give Matsu."

"Mello, it's Tuesday. Plus I don't dance, especially to that shit they always play." Matt kept his eyes carefully fixed to the table, away from the blonde's pretty face as to delay its inescapable victory in the disagreement.

"She mostly just likes funk, rock, and punk. And don't discriminate against days of the week; it hurts their feelings. It's not like you wouldn't be up until three screwing Mario anyway. We're going."

"You ass."

"Yes, I have a nice one, don't I…"

- - -

"Kana," Matt said after his friend finally picked up her phone.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"It's…okay. I'm supposed to go to this party thing with Mello, and…and I just don't really know what do to. Or...what…to wear." The last words killed Matt a little inside.

"A party? With Mello? No way. That's so great I'msoexcitedforyouohmygodthat'ssogreatandawesomeareyougonnahookupwithhimdoyoulikehimIthoughtyouhatedpartieshowdidhegetyoutogoIshouldaskhimaboutthat—"

"Kana. What. Do. I. Do."

"Huh? Oh right. Well I guess you should wear what you normally do as long as it's clean, only because I know you don't have anything but stripes. Hmm…as far as what to do. First, right now, reach into your right back jeans pocket. Close your hand. Take your hand out of your pocket. Open it over a table."

Matt's DS fell to the kitchen counter.

"Now, Matt. I'm going to ask you to do something I know you won't like."

"What's that?"

"Walk away." There was a restrained whine on the redhead's side of the line. "Don't touch the game. Don't touch it until the party is over. It will be there, just where you left it, when you get back home. Leave it, and leave the Gameboy, and leave the PSP. I promise they'll all still love you even if you leave them alone for a whole four hours."

"But…" Matt knew it was useless.

- - -

"JEEVAS! Get your skinny ass out here!"

Matt peered out the kitchen window, wondering how Mello knew his last name, to see the leather clad boy sitting sideways impatiently on a motorcycle, shiny helmet in arm, usually smooth hair windblown and so…The redhead shook his head to clear it.

_A motorcycle? Is that even legal? He only could have gotten his license this year, right?_

Matt decided not to care. Motorcycles were damn cool. He headed out, yelling something to his parents (if they were even home) about going to some…uh…study group that met until quite late in the evening and he'd be back when they were sleeping. There might have been an arguing reply, but no one was around to hear it.

Mello stood to greet the striped teenager.

"Oh, I thought you'd take those off. Huh. It's okay though, they're fun." The blonde yanked down the tinted goggles to hang loosely around a slim neck. "Yeah, I like that. And wear this." Matt was handed a fluorescent-orange motorcycle helmet which received a grimace. "Come on, Matt. It does its purpose. Get on." Mello straddled the bike and motioned for the other to join him. "You'll need to hold on to me. Unless you'd rather fall off. In that case, you'll need more than a helmet." He laughed amusedly at Matt's hesitance before reaching back for stripe covered arms and bringing them to wrap around his middle.

Matt's heart raced right along with the small vehicle as he was painfully aware of the physical contact. Mello was so warm, and his every breath could be felt by the boy sitting directly behind him, pressed to his back. And he smelled so good, like a mixture of sweetness and danger. And just a hint of chocolate.

- - -

The music was nearly deafening. At least it wasn't bad. The DJ seemed to be enjoying himself, bouncing to the sounds with one hand holding his headphones up to his head and the other playing with little white cubes. One to the stack, one in his mouth, one to the stack, one to his mouth…

"Dance, Matt," Mello said before jamming himself into the middle of the swaying, touching mass of bodies.

If by "dance," Mello had meant "go find a shadowed couch to sit on and don't socialize at all, just be really, really awkward, and also go drink a good amount of that totally unsuspicious punch with some empty glass bottles lying around it," Matt had done exactly what was asked of him.

"Matt. Up." A certain pair of gloved hands yanked Matt over to where everyone was dancing. "Dance with me. The song's a good one."

Matt stared stupidly, the lines of his world blurring pleasantly.

"_She's only 18, don't like the Rollin' Stones. She took a short cut, to be in fully grown…_" The music set a slow funk rhythm for the mass.

"Must I help you with everything?" Mello placed the redhead's hands on his hips and took a drastic step forward. Matt was startled when he felt warm thighs and hips against his own. The blonde, his hands on the other's, rocked side to side slightly, grinding their bodies together.

Matt couldn't quite think straight, but despite the overall lack of the ability to function, he managed to get the hang of this "dancing."

"Good." Mello turned around to face the same way as his friend, grinding against him with his entire body, arms hooked back around his neck along with a pair of orange and white goggles. Matt was losing control. His hands wandered over the front of leather pants and a leather vest, able to feel ribs even through the thick material.

"_This talking picture show is leaking from a silhouette..._"

"Mello, you're really…" Matt pressed his mouth, which seemed to be acting on its accord in more than one way, to the side of the pale neck before him and murmured, "_really_ sexy…"

"I was wondering when you'd come to terms with that." Mello, pleased with his friend's new attitude, turned to face the usually goggled redhead. A wiry, leather-covered hand placed itself on a neck situated above striped shoulders and drew Matt to kiss him.

The redhead pulled back abruptly.

"Wait…Mello…" He paused and giggled drunkenly, unable to hold the small amount of alcohol consumed. "Mello…you're not mellow at all. That's a goofy one…" The blonde wore a frustrated expression, and Matt returned from his sidetrack. "You're…a guy. Yeah. And…me too."

"Yes, Matt, I very well understand that. I'm just surprised you noticed, as drunk as you are." An added mumble could be heard: "And it was going so well…what happened..."

"But…that means…we're not supposed to…and I couldn't…and I'm not…and you're not…so…so…where was I again?..."

"Shut your mouth and do something useful with it." Mello closed the gap between them once again and kissed Matt with more persuasion, convincing him not to leave.

The redhead responded properly this time, wrapping his arms around the other's waist as hands fisted in his own hair. It was mind blowing, better than any kiss shared with a very rarely existing girlfriend. Okay, a never existing girlfriend…that one hookup that one time…Still, had Matt had more experience, it would definitely be the best by far.

"_Knock the world right off its feet and straight onto its head…"_

Mello sensed many curious stares as he felt himself backed gently against a wall.

"Matt, kiss my neck."

Matt, hands on narrow hips to hold the blonde in place, obeyed, coaxing soft moans from the slim teenager before him.

Mello rested his fingertips on the space between each of the other's shoulders and neck, curling the bony appendages slightly with pleasure. During the infrequent seconds that his eyes were open, he swore he saw a few flashes and camera phones pointing their way. Good.

"Mello, I…" Matt began, resting his forehead in the crook of his friend's neck.

"Matt, don't tell me you can't do this again."

"No, it's not that. I…I need to…lie down…" The gamer passed out then and there, leaving a once again deeply annoyed, yet hardly surprised, blonde supporting him. Mello carried the redhead with little effort towards the stairs to find a quiet room, on the way passing several rather occupied persons, including the DJ with a short haired brunette…male? So they weren't they only ones.

"Can I help you with something?" a high pitched voice inquired. Mello turned around, trying not to injure the boy in his arms on a doorframe.

"Oh, Misa, yeah. I need a place for this one to lie down."

"You can use my room; the guest rooms all seem to be locked. It's very strange, don't you think? There's no music in those rooms. I don't understand what's so interesting about them. And I hear funny noises, too…" The tiny young woman's words made Mello cringe. For someone who looked so experienced in the matter, she was unbelievably clueless. He followed her up the stairs, mentally noting her blatantly visible panties. As they passed the DJ and the brunette again, Mello thought he heard Misa crying, which was proven correct at the top of the stairs through copious amounts of black makeup running down her pale face. He decided it was better not to ask.

"Go ahead and put him on the bed, before your arms fall off," the gothic model said with a giggle, suddenly cheerful. Matt was placed on a bedspread with large pictures of an attractive, brown haired young man all over it. "Aw, he looks so cute. How old are you guys, anyway?"

"Sure, cute. Drunk on about two shots and out cold. Just adorable. We're sixteen."

"Oh, you're so little!" Misa squealed. Mello couldn't help thinking, _look who's talking_. Amane looked about fourteen, but everyone knew better. "Are you together?"

_She might just be _the_ most irritating person in existence. Damn it, where's my gun when I need it?_

"He's just…Hey don't you have a party to be hosting?"

"Oh, that's right!" The petite woman left to go back to the dancing and such, on her way out passionately kissing a life size cardboard cutout of the same young man from the bedspread. Mello wondered if it was a celebrity before returning his attention to the passed out redhead. He climbed onto the bed and shifted himself, putting his back against the headboard and legs apart so that the sleeping boy was situated between his legs, head resting on a leather covered chest.

_I suppose he does look cute, all drunk and ridiculous._

Mello knew they'd have to stay overnight and miss at least part of school the next day. It's hard to drive a motorcycle (illegally, at that) with an unconscious person on the back. Misa would have to not mind.

- - -

Matt's eyes flickered open. Leather…on both sides of him. Yes, a leather leg on each side, with boots on the ends. And two gloved hands on his chest, connected to thin, wiry arms wrapped around his torso, leading up to slender shoulders and a slim neck to a face that belonged to…oh no.

"Mello. Mello! Mello, wake up!"

"Damn it, Matt, what?" the blonde grumbled.

"What do you mean, 'what?' I pass out and wake up in a guy's lap, that's what!"

"You point being…?"

"Did…" The hung-over teenager paused to take a breath and blush, abashed. "Did anything happen?"

"How do you mean?" Naturally, Mello knew exactly what he meant.

"I mean…did we _do_ something…like with each other…that could have been…regrettable, in any way…" Poor Matt looked like he might cry. Or hyperventilate. Or both. His friend chose to spare him…sort of.

"You're fully clothed. I'm fully clothed. Neither of our asses hurt, and neither of us is covered in anything…sticky."

"So…no, then?"

That smirk made another appearance, going on a rampage to raze all other smirking rampages to the ground and stomp on them with neon go-go boots. Because it felt like it.

The redhead shifted uneasily.

"Just kissing and dancing." The smirk wearer was being extraordinarily nice. He ruffled the red hair before him and slid off the bed, then turned and leaned down to press his lips to Matt's.

Matt looked like he was going to pass out…again. Fortunately, he did not. Instead, he sat just there, slightly agape, and blinked several times.

"Matt, you moron. No need to look so terrified. Get up, we're going to school."

"…School?"

"All right then, I'm going to school. You're going home."

"Home? Oh, home! But…wait…no…Jean…and Mark…they…"

"Won't kill you. I'll make up something good if I need to."

Mello dropped Matt at his house and left him at the mercy of his foster parents, who turned out to have thought their child had locked himself in his room to play videogames all night and hadn't even noticed when he'd left. Matt was able to get in undetected.

As for Mello—he went to school. Little did he know, that day would prove very, _very_ interesting.

* * *

**Oof. That took much longer than I expected. I hope it was satisfying. No worries, next chapter will be funnier. I gots me an idea-thing.**

**By the way, I imagine Mello having a British accent in this story. I'm not sure, they might be in England. You can decide for your own reading enjoyment. For mine, Matt and Mello have British accents…but no one else does. I know, I know.**

**And yeshh our Mello has mood swings. Iz funn.**


	3. Human?

**It would be much appreciated if you read the note at the end! Enjoy.**

* * *

And there went the school bell…as if Mello cared. He still had to pee, and that took precedence over timeliness. Ducking into the first bathroom he could, he pondered the night before. Poor Matt, so confused after knowing him for such a short time. This may be a new record for Mello; what, four days, and already there's a boy riding on the back of his bike and questioning his sexuality. Oh, life could not be better.

Scratch that. Life would be better if the lovechild of the Abominable Snowman and a sheep weren't perched on a sink watching him intently while he relieved himself. Mello jumped at the sight of this strange creature.

"The hell are you?" the blonde questioned.

"Who am I?" the white thing said.

"Uh…yeah. _Who_. Who are you?" _What_ was more what Mello had had in mind when asking, but seeing as the possibly rabid snowsheep could pounce at any moment, he thought it best to stay inoffensive. Not that he was afraid, but rabies was something he'd rather do without.

"I'm Near."

"Yes, perhaps a bit too near for my liking."

"No. I _am_ Near."

"Erm, oh. …Oh!" The realization that this was a bathroom he had actually been warned about hit Mello like a bird hitting a glass window. But he could defend himself easily; the kid was tiny anyhow, snow-rabies or not. After a moment of thick silence, Mello added, "Would you like to…to know my name or something as well?"

"No. Names are distracting to me," said Near in an eerie monotone, fingers moving to put together little bits of plastic and Lego. The way the kid's hands moved made him look like some sort of over-efficient automaton, but apparently he'd always been the top of his class, so there had to be some extraordinary thought involved.

"Fantastic. Not that I would tell you anyway," Mello struggled to cover (albeit clumsily) his bizarre social error with Near. He didn't want to sound like he actually _wanted_ to be friends; he never meant it that way. Frankly, he was slightly creeped out, which was unusual, and for the first time in his life really just wanted to get to class. As he turned for the door, Near said,

"Wait. Wouldn't you like to play?"

"Not particularly, no."

"It's quite enjoyable. You should reconsider." Near fixed his wide, empty eyes on Mello's. They seemed to be absorbing all the light from the room, taking everything in, emptying the space of all matter. Mello tried to drag his eyes away, but the potentially rabid viselike stare wouldn't break. Near began to rise from his spot, bare feet lowering one at a time to the tile floor. The boy moved, yet appeared still. His ribcage, half-visible through the thin white cotton of his pajamas (_pajamas! _Mello noticed), didn't flex with breath, and his eyes wandered little, never blinking. (The whole effect brought the song "The Humans are Dead" to mind.) As Near came all too near, Mello shuffled backwards, and finally feeling the door behind him, he ran out.

- - -

Class that day, if Mello had a hand in it, which of course he did, being the equivalent of a land mine in the field of his class, would be entertaining. Matsuda had called Mello Mihael the previous day, essentially condemning the teacher to eternal damnation via angry, hormonal teenage boy. However, as said hormonal teenage boy made his entrance into first hour, he did not find timid little Matsu seated at his desk "teaching" from a distance, but a pale, gangly substitute scrawling intricate formulas on the blackboard.

The man turned and said, "Mello, I presume?"

"Mhm," Mello answered shortly with a nod before proceeding down the awkward path to his desk in the center of the room. Mid-route, he paused and broke the comfortable silence of the class, saying, "Isn't this a literature course?"

The substitute turned his head of feathery black hair and replied, "Yes. And I don't care," continuing to write his formulas. Mello stared at the board, intrigued by the flawless, beautiful logic presented before the class. Throughout, the day's teacher captivated the blonde, piecing together several complex formulas perfectly in a comprehensible way. This was truly unbelievable…the man must be some sort of genius. Mello was actually sorry to hear the bell ring, signaling the end of class. On his way to second hour, he asked a classmate what the teacher's name was, only to discover that it was never said. What was stranger is that the man looked oddly familiar in his structure and motions…oh well. The thought was gradually dismissed as it became a nonentity through the grueling, consuming curriculum of fourth period.

- - -

"What have we here, a hung-over gamer who couldn't bear to miss one whole day of school?" Mello ruffled Matt's hair playfully, joining him at the outdoor lunch table. Matt flinched, startled, and put his game away.

"Mello! Uh, hi." The redhead's cheeks nearly matched his hair as he looked half at the grass, half at Mello's amused features.

"Hi," Mello said back in a relaxed tone, a rather friendly smirk beginning to form.

"I, um…well, I kind of need to, like…to talk to you." Matt's words spilled out of his mouth inelegantly, causing him to feel more like an embarrassed six-year-old asking where babies come from than an embarrassed sixteen-year-old trying to set his mind at ease. "It's just that, I, I didn't really think I, well I don't think, well, I'm not exactly sure that I'm…that I like…boys. Like that. You know, I was all, all drunk and whatnot, and I wasn't even sure what I was doing, well, I'm still not sure, because I don't really remember, and then this morning, and you were there, and, and—"

"And then Matt shut his mouth because he sounded like an endearing idiot at best."

"Oh…"

"Yes Matt, you got very drunk. Like, impressively drunk for how little you actually drank. And I kissed you, and you were confused, because you know what Matt? You _like _me _and_ I'm a boy. Nothing to be ashamed of there." Mello stood and raised his voice, "Hey! Hey everyone! I kissed Matt! And he _likes _me!" A few heads turned with little interest, unsurprised. Matt, however, was surprised, and unquestionably mortified. Mello sat back down and said, "See? Look who cares?...Nobody."

Nobody except Kana.

"Maatttieee!" She appeared from nowhere. "Matt! Mello kissed you? You kissed Mello? See Mattie what did I tell you? I knew it, I knew it all—"

"Hello Kana, it's nice to see you too. Yes, thank you, we're doing fine, thanks so much for asking," Mello tried to interject.

"—and then you thought I was being silly, but see Mattie, I wasn't because I was right! Ha! Who would've thought? Well, me, obviously, and maybe Mello, but who really cares, because this is just…"

"Kana…Kana!" Matt raised his voice slightly.

"Oh." Kana, finally snapping back into reality, gave her attention to Matt.

"Jesus, Kana, don't hurt yourself. Mello and I were just talking about…things. How you managed to hear that from wherever the hell you were beats me," Matt said in the friendliest voice he could manage to cover his confusion and frustration, "but that's not important. We're, like…figuring out what's important right now. I promise I'll tell you all about it later. But…for now, would you mind giving us some time?"

"Course not, Matt! Whatever's best for you two." Kana smiled in a frighteningly scheming way, but otherwise, her sanity seemed to be more or less restored as she wandered off in another direction.

When Matt was done making sure Kana was far enough away, he looked back in time to see Mello's smirk fading into something slightly more sincere.

"Listen, Matt…_Mattie_," he chuckled. "I never meant to make you this uncomfortable. Just a little uncomfortable. I didn't know you were in _this degree_ of denial exactly; I thought it was a bit milder. Your drunken state does say you like me, but even that night you were having doubts about the whole male-factor. Now, I know you're unsure about boys, but really Matt, girls? Think about it for a moment. Breasts. Do you actually want to touch those things? They're so…weird." Mello studied Matt's face as he pondered the concept. "Now, boys. Men. Whatever. Beautiful, hard, muscular bodies, lots of power, lots of drive. Eh?" Matt felt an elbow nudge his arm and his face turn pink simultaneously. "See? You like that idea…come on now. We don't have to go to sixth period." Mello started to get up, taking Matt's upper arm, when it suddenly went rigid for a moment.

"No, wait, Mello…"

Mello's face became instantaneously worried, feeling as though he might have said the wrong thing entirely, which was almost never the case. A thousand thoughts raced through his conscious, each one a quick scenario worse than the previous in which Matt ran away, slapped him, or worse yet, started crying, or something.

"We _do_ have to go to sixth hour. There's a quiz, and I've been told they're pretty hard to make out…uh, um," Matt sputtered for a moment at his err, "make up in that class. Hard to make up."

"Oh, oh right, sure. We'll go." Mello said as a look of relief consumed him. "Seventh hour, meet me back here."

- - -

_I didn't realize there even _were_ people this complex. He's an ass, then he's understanding. He's friendly, then he's tripping kids in the hallway. He's a problem, then he's helpful, he's a girl, he's a boy, what the _hell_? Leather for godsakes! I kissed a boy in _leather_! A crazy fucking boy, who looks like a girl, but is definitely a boy, who wears leather, who's so damn _charming_ and so _strange _at the same time. But he's right…he's so correct. Breasts _are_ really weird._

- - -

Mello lay, barely awake, on the black lunch table, hair hanging over the edge in a short, sleek blonde stream. He heard footsteps but did nothing.

"Er, Mello, didn't see you at the test," Matt said with a curious face.

"Funny, I didn't see me there either." Mello cracked a pleasant, sleepy smirk, eyes half-lidded.

"You know that's gonna be a pain to take again," Matt said, shooting for a light gregariousness in his tone, but not with much success as he didn't have a whole lot of experience actually being forwardly gregarious.

"But why should I need to make it up? That old bag of a teacher is so desperate, probably used to be a real scrubber, but now she can't get any. A little…'favor' should get me an A with extra credit in that ridiculous course." Mello opened his eyes wide enough to see a horrified expression hovering above his head. "I was only joking, mate," he said with a gradually awakening grin. "You should've realized that by now."

"Well, that's just it, Mello. I don't really know you at all."

"Hm…point taken. Let's go." Leading the way to his motorcycle, Mello added, "Like coffee? Tea? Anything?"

"Sure, anything."

Mello couldn't help but love the feeling of Matt swinging his leg over the bike and settling close behind him, torso against his back and slender arms around his waist, warm enough to make the slight September chill comfortable. Matt was beginning to accept that he liked it too.

- - -

"Fucking HELL, woman!" Mello yelled after a sip from the plastic-lidded cup, outraged at the barista. "You can't manage a simple cup of hot cocoa without creating the consistency of dissolving chalk, can you?" Mello kept drinking nonetheless. "Nasty rubbish," Mello muttered, plunking his change in the tip jar and heading for a seat. The young female looked terrified as her eyes hesitantly followed the two to their spot.

"It's really that bad?" Matt inquired, sitting down.

"No, it's fine. It's just that…this way, all her other customers will seem more friendly. For the rest of her life."

"So there is a method to your madness after all…"

"You may be on to something there," Mello glanced flirtatiously across the small wooden table, "but you may not be. Good luck figuring that one out."

Matt felt an awkward spell coming on. Oh dear. He was becoming engulfed in the way Mello's fingers toyed with the edge of the table, nimbly and absently feeling the grain of the wood. "Um, right, yeah. I'll work on it, or something. Yes. So, Mello."

"You'd like to get to know me better, right? And I'd like the same about you."

"Right."

"I should probably start."

"Right."

"I lived in Germany for the first eight years of my life, until my parents decided to ship me off to England. Learned English there, and the accent stuck I suppose. I love it though. Talk all day, and nobody stops me. In fact, I can _bitch_ all day, and nobody stops me. "

"But you can still speak German?"

"_Jawohl_. Not as much as I'd like though. German class is helping."

"And then your parents came back here?"

"Absolutely not. They loved the peace and quiet, but they'd never admit it, so they sent me here, nice and far away, for 'my own good' and some bollocks about cultural experience. I was to live with my long-lost great aunt Frauke." Mello paused to laugh quietly. "Long lost she was. Died ten years back. Lucky for me, her old house was turned into a duplex when she died with no heirs. The college students living there had a bit of extra space and wanted another rent-payer, so there I was, all set up as of just a few weeks ago."

"And, you're magically able to go as a minor unmonitored by the government. And work, if you pay rent?"

"Expensive forged ID and papers, love. The parents sent them. See, they do care. Come on, I can pass for nineteen easy, you know it. Also good for withdrawals from international family bank accounts."

"That is absolutely ludicrous, you know."

"Oh thank goodness you're not that daft. The duplex part and the Auntie Frauke bit are true, but I've also got a middle-aged cousin with no life who's been traveling with me as my guardian. He lives a few cities over, gets me my money from my parents' account, with permission of course, and makes sure I'm all right. I know I could go without him though," Mello finished, smiling.

"You really are something, Mello."

"And you're really something else, Matt," the blonde replied with a wink.

* * *

**It's been over a year since my last update. I'm so sorry. Life took a hold of me, and bam, no time to write. I've done a lot of growing up, a lot of changing…lots of shifts in interest.**

**Regarding the rating: Apologies to those who requested otherwise, but the story will in fact be rated M in the future. I'll do my best to warn you before an M chapter and make it clear what happened in the following chapters without using M content, so hopefully everyone can be happy.**

**Point is, I've finally picked this up again. Other point is, I've lost nearly all my motivation for writing January, and if any of you have interest in taking it up, PM me and we can negotiate file transfer and whatnot.**

**Thank you lovelies.**

**(The Humans are Dead is by Flight of the Conchords.)**


	4. Let Go

**Well, it's only been, oh, a few years since I've updated this. But here it is! I was suddenly overcome with motivation after going through three used computers and losing my work multiple times. All of _Radio_'s original readers are probably long gone from the fanfiction world by now, but if anyone's still with this, you're a doll.**

**This chapter's songs are "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap and "Let Go" by Frou Frou (also Imogen Heap actually), but imagine that the latter is a cover by Cass Lowe (you can find it on YouTube, it's brilliant).**

* * *

"Kana…I'm really not so sure about all this," Matt said feebly to his friend over Saturday breakfast. "I mean, this kid appears out of nowhere, and he wears leather and has a crazy life and rides a motorcycle at age-fucking-sixteen and suddenly I'm a homosexual or something and breasts are weird and it's all happening so fast and I don't even—"

"Oh chill your tits, Matty," Kana interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Can't you just go with it for once? It's obvious that Mello likes you, why can't you accept it?"

"Because! Because…there's absolutely nothing to like about me, and he's like…gorgeous, right?"

"Matt, shut up, you're being silly." Kana shook her head and patted Matt's shoulder across her kitchen table. She was about to begin a tirade about how great the distressed redhead was when he interjected surprisingly,

"No! No, Kana, really. Why on Earth would he want me? We've known each other barely a week and I've kissed him already, and on top of that he's male, but he's somehow seduced me into being okay with his mood swings and illegal motorcycle and, and…but, why? I've never attracted any attention before, not from anyone and not ever in a…romantic way. Why him? He even said he wanted to get to know me better, and we went for coffee, and he was so...interesting and I'm really so boring and there must be something wrong, right?" Matt's thoughts from the past week were finally pouring out in the most comprehensible way they could, which was, objectively, rather incomprehensible. His awkwardness continued to give way to a persistent stream of words that caused even the speed-talking Kana to contort her face in concentration, attempting to understand. She strained to give him comforting looks now and then, but it was a challenge to both do so and hear what Matt was saying.

Matt finally paused for breath and Kana held up her hand, signaling her friend to shut his face, if only for a moment. "Matty. You can just talk to him, you know, or if that's too difficult, relax. You know, inhale, exhale, read a book, or," she couldn't help herself from giggling and adding, "hook up with your new sexy boyfriend—"

Matt cut her off with a look and left. He wanted desperately to be able to accept himself and his new situation, but it didn't feel right just yet. Mello's instant interest in him could have been described as chemistry, but Matt was more suspicious. He couldn't think of any ulterior motive, anything that would make trying to be close with someone like himself gratifying. Self-confidence never had been his strong point.

* * *

School on Monday started with a slap on the behind, from none other than Mello. Matt yelped and whipped around to see a certain devilish blonde grinning at him.

"Mello! It's school! It's a hallway! There are people, and, er, security cameras, maybe."

"Well good morning to you too, then," Mello responded and winked. "I'm well-aware there are people, but you should know by now, they don't care." Mello added with an inaudible mumble, "…because they're terrified of me, of course." He saw Matt's expression of mixed concern and displeasure and said, "Really, what's wrong this time?" Matt simply raised his eyebrows incredulously. "Come on, talk to me." The redhead was again caught off-guard by this fluctuation between devious miscreant and caring…friend? (Of course, all of Mello's actions were still toned with something that sounded vaguely like a waiting smirk.)

Matt resigned with a sigh. "All right, can we talk at lunch?"

"Of course," Mello replied. And, to Matt's annoyance, the androgynous-looking blonde pecked him on the cheek before heading to his locker for books.

Lunch took its time approaching, but when it did come, it brought a surprise. As Matt drew closer to his usual spot, he thought perhaps some other students had taken the table that day, but a few steps closer showed Mello and Kana sitting across from each other, engaged in apparently very entertaining conversation. Kana reached over and flicked Mello's bangs playfully; he grabbed her hand out of the air and put it back on the table in his own. Something surged up in Matt. He wasn't sure if it was jealousy, because he didn't believe Mello even liked him much, but there was a definite tinge of betrayal. Filled with something like perplexed rage and unsure what to think at all, Matt turned to leave. When Mello finally glanced up in search of him, he was already headed back inside the school. The blonde looked stricken, realization dawning on him about how the little scene must have looked. _Shitshitshitshitshit__…__._Was all he could think as he bolted from the courtyard. _Just__as__I__thought__he__was__getting__comfortable__with__me,__just__as__I__was__starting__to__convince__myself__I__was__doing__it__right__for__once__…_ He found Matt slumped against his own locker, staring up with his vibrant jade eyes as if looking into the face of a deadly assailant, and sat down next to him in the empty hallway.

"What was that?" he asked with half-hearted anger that came out more like awkward despair.

"Nothing, it was really nothing, Matt… But I've made a mistake. I believe I've left out a…hm. A bit of an important detail about my arrival here."

"What's that got to do with you and Kana holding hands like…like…"

"Like a girl and her very gay cousin?" Mello sighed at Matt's sideways-aimed baffled look. "Kana and I are cousins; we've been in contact for a few years now. I wouldn't have even come to the country if I didn't have more than one relative here, my parents did want me to be near family. That middle-aged distant relative with no life is actually Kana's aunt, and when I became bored with Los Angeles during the summer, we all decided it might be nice if Kana and I were around each other more…even though she's the most ridiculous person anyone's ever met. So, here I am. She and I were just talking about you, actually."

Matt was still at a loss and quite apprehensive. "Right, right, okay, and while that sinks in, assuming you're not just pulling this out of thin air, you can tell me," he raised his voice, "_why_ didn't I know any of this before? Why would Kana, my best friend, lie to me about not knowing you, and not even…not even knowing what gender you were?"

"Matt, this is actually really embarrassing, but…" Mello's usual confidence was nowhere to be found. "She'd been going on about you non-stop since I mentioned possibly moving here. She really wanted us to be friends, or more, but she knew that if she pushed me on you, you'd think she was setting you up. Which, well, she essentially was doing. But regardless—"

"So that's it," Matt interjected, talking to the floor. He'd never stood up for himself to this degree, never had such an emotional flare. "That's why you're even pretending to be interested, to make her happy? So that she could feel proud that she was the one responsible for me having friends? It's all just pity. And you were just, what, making fun of me casually before I got to lunch? I knew I wasn't worth anything, there really is no reason to actually like me, I don't even know why Kana sticks around—"

"Matt!" The redhead finally looked over in time for the blonde to cut off his rampage with a kiss. Matt backed away and stormed off in a less-than-ideal response. Unfortunately for Mello, his number-one boy-reassuring tactic had failed. He spent the remainder of the school day trying to hold Matt's glance long enough to trap him into conversation, but the hurt redhead would have none of that.

* * *

A firm knock sounded on Matt's bedroom door. Woken from his nap, he stumbled out of bed and tripped, crumbling, almost tipping completely over. He opened the door to Mello.

"Mello-this-is-absolutely-ridiculous-please-go-away," Matt tried, but Mello brushed him aside and entered the room. "How did you even get in my house?" he demanded.

"I opened the door. Now listen," Mello said firmly and sat down on the carpet, dragging Matt with him. "You. Are. So. Dense." Matt opened his mouth to protest, but Mello continued. "Do you honestly think I'd pursue you just for Kana? I wouldn't kiss a boy I didn't like, nor would I carry him up the stairs at a party because he was too drunk to move, and I certainly wouldn't bother chasing him down to explain and apologize for everything." Matt couldn't meet his eyes. "I actually like you, Matt, I thought you'd realized. It was stupid and immature and honestly totally pointless of Kana and me to lie like that, I don't know what was going through our heads. You'd have to find out eventually, right? We should've known your opinion of me wouldn't be that different if you'd thought she was setting us up, I came on to you instantly regardless. It's true, sometimes I do go after people rather quickly just for fun," —Matt glanced up to give Mello a dirty look— "but not with you." The look softened. "I felt like I already knew you because Kana told me so much. I'm smart, most of the time, but I really was being an idiot prat being so careless with you. You're intelligent, and adorable, really, you don't know how cute it is that you're so awkward, and you're actually nice and really sincere, not just a cocky wanker like every other guy out there, like me…" Mello paused to think, and Matt took the opportunity to whisper,

"Just shut up. It's…I get it." While Mello and Kana's rationale for lying was utterly ridiculous, it did fit with Kana's usual nature of unnecessary plotting. Out of her character, though, was how seamlessly the two pulled off the façade. Matt still wasn't terribly happy, but Mello's ramble was convincing enough for now.

Mello sighed, looking uncharacteristically conquered. Out of the blue, he asked, "Do you have a CD player?" Matt nodded towards his computer, and Mello produced a disc from inside his leather jacket. When he rejoined the defeated-looking redhead, Imogen Heap's smooth voice started radiating out of the speakers.

_Where are we… What the hell… is going on…_

Mello gently took Matt's hand in his own and coaxed him into lying back on the floor with him. They lay there in a comfortable silence, listening to the calming music, hands clasped together, Matt's head leaning towards Mello's shoulder.

_Mmm whatcha say… Mm that you only meant well, well of course you did, mm whatcha say… Mm that it's all for the best, of course it is…_

"Matt…I'm really sorry." Mello hadn't apologized for anything so sincerely in years.

Matt finally smiled slightly and after a bit of tugging effort dragged Mello's slim form on top of himself. "I think that's all I wanted to hear," he said quietly before leaning up and shyly kissing the blonde boy, just briefly. Mello grinned, a genuine, smirkless grin, and kissed back, barely able to stop smiling long enough to move beyond anything but lingering pecks. Matt slid his hands down Mello's slender torso and wrapped his arms around the narrow waist settled over his own.

The next song began, and a thought dawned on Matt. "Mello, why did you bring a mix CD to my house?"

"Er…"

"Am I that predictable?"

"Well, no," Mello said hesitantly, a blush appearing on his pale face, "I was being optimistic."

_Drink up baby down, mm are you in or are you out… Leave your things behind, 'cause it's all going off without you…_

"Matt, you're actually quite unpredictable. Unless there are video games involved I suppose. But…" Mello didn't finish his sentence but instead dipped his head to Matt's neck and brushed his lips along the curve, curling his fingers around the redhead's ribcage. Matt suddenly noticed the tingling heat pooling in his stomach and froze.

_So let go, let go, just get in, oh well whatcha waiting for, it's all right, 'cause there's beauty in the breakdown…_

"Mello, I um, I have homework, so you, er, yeah should probably go home but I'll see you at school and stuff, right, yep," Matt managed to say.

"Oh, I see," Mello mumbled against pale skin, "you're getting a bit too excited for your own liking just now." The blonde chuckled and ground his hips down once before kissing Matt swiftly on the cheek and disappearing out the door, leaving a hot-and-bothered redhead staring after him.

Matt squirmed on his carpet, hard-on straining against jeans. "There wasn't even tongue," he said to himself.

* * *

**Sorry, that wasn't exactly a funny chapter, and its quality is questionable, but it just sort of happened. If you didn't look up Cass Lowe's "Let Go" cover, you should probably do that. Thank you millions upon millions for reading this chronologically-challenged story… I'm really, honestly planning to finish it.**


End file.
